Improving Anticipation in Racket Sports: An Evidence-based Intervention

This chapter provides a brief overview of the importance of advanced cue utilization in dynamic interceptive sports such as tennis. It describes the primary methods used to assess anticipatory performance in racket sports. The chapter details evidence-based skill-acquisition principles that can be used to improve anticipation in the laboratory and field. It then explains how methods of instruction and practice structure can help to make anticipatory skills more resistant to psychological stress. The case study presents a hypothetical example of a professional tennis player named ‘Andrew’, who is having problems anticipating shots at the net. He started playing tennis at the age of five, resulting in approximately 20 years playing experience. The first step in analysing Andrew's anticipatory performance was to conduct orientation meetings between the skill-acquisition specialist, Andrew and his coach.